How The Mighty Hath Fallen
by alikara
Summary: PG-13 for violence. Ryou has had Bakura for 10 years, and has kept a secret. Now he plans to reveal it, and with it, bring his yami crshing down.


How the Mighty Hath Fallen  
Ryou's POV  
  
This is it. Tonight's the night. After ten years, I'll finally reveal myself. I'll finally prove what I'm made of. Bakura will finally know. I was seven when I got the Ring. I had started doing it a few months before hand. But Bakura came into my life, and no matter what I could do, he still frightened me. He always saw me in the same way. Pale, pitiful, spineless, whimpering, weak Ryou. Yup. That's me. But he'll meet a new Ryou tonight.  
  
All this time, I've kept it from him. Interesting how the one thing that would please him, is the one thing I've managed to keep from him. But now, he'll know. They'll all know. I managed to convince him when I was little, that I went to the chiropractor every week. Even after all these years, because of my physique, he could never guess how strong I really am. He could never guess that all my cries of pain, that all my tears, that all my pleading for him to stop, was an act. All of it. I was never as hurt as I let on. I was a great actor, after all. I took it, and it made me stronger, just like he intended for it to do. All the beatings, all the "lessons", they hadn't made me stronger, but they had made me more dead to physical pain.  
  
And now, he would find out. Because today, I'm ready. Today is the day I have longed for for years. So much pain and torture, I took it all, leading him on, so I could break him some day. And now, that day is here. The chiropractor. Heh. He thought I had to see a doctor because of another weakness. He couldn't be farther from the truth. This whole time, I wasn't going to the doctor; I was going to the Dojo. And now, I've done it. Just today, it happened. I finally got it, what I had deemed as the one thing that could announce me ready to take Bakura head on; my second degree black belt. It sat in my back pack, wrapped up in my gi, between my calculus and physics books.  
  
My body didn't look it, but I was strong. Sure, I easily bruised, but that worked to my advantage. I was strong. And now, Bakura would see that. Only one other person knows about this. About my plan.  
  
"Ryou?" I look up.  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"Well? Did you get it?"  
  
"Hai. I got it."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So?"  
  
"Is this it?"  
  
"Is what it?"  
  
"Is tonight the night?"  
  
"Hai, Jounochi. Tonight's the night."  
  
"Mm. Ganbatte, watashi no tomodachi."  
  
"Arigatou. Sayonara." I said, and we went our separate ways. Jounochi had followed me to the Dojo a few years ago, just after Duelist Kingdom, and found out my secret. I told him everything, and he promised not to tell. He said I did a good job of masking it. A fighter has a whole air around him, of confidence, and strength, and a way of moving, balanced, and perfectly in control. Another fighter can always recognize this. Unless it's me. Nobody knew. Bakura, Malik, Marik, Jounochi, they are all fighters. None of them knew. Only Jounochi knew. But now, tonight, Bakura would too. And he would wish he had never messed with me. Watch out Bakura. Tonight, you get the shock of your life.  
  
Bakura's POV  
  
He's late. Oh, yeah. He had to go to the doctor today. Ryou's so, weak, it makes me sick! He has back problems, so he has to go the chiropractor. Ra, why did I have to get stuck with the weakest out of all the hikaris?! Even the Pharaoh's brat is stronger. And I got stuck with Ryou. Hell, even that irritating loud mouth, Katsuya Jounochi, would be better. But noooo...  
  
I'm hungry...  
  
Stupid, stupid baka, Ryou. How is it, that he always has to go to the doctor when I get hungry early? Ra! The world conspires against me! Not to mention that I had a minor disagreement with the toaster after Ryou went to school. Maybe I'll bash him over the head with the stupid thing. That's always fun, bashing him over the head.  
  
Ahh. About time.  
  
"Ryou! Get your skinny ass in here!" I shout. My light shuffles into the room, and takes off his backpack. I frown. Something's different. Normally, he'd be trembling already, whimpering. But now, he looks at me, something he avoids doing, and his look is odd. It's like he's measuring me, gauging me. And he's not hunched over, with his arms across his stomach, in a shielding sort of way. E's standing straight, his arms down at his sides. Hmm. He's taller than I thought.  
  
"Nan desu ka, Bakura-kun?"  
  
Even his tone is insolent. His voice isn't shaky, and he didn't mumble to the floor. He looked right at me, and spoke straight to my face. Something's not right. and I'm going to stop it, before it gets worse.  
  
I move towards him, with quick strides, waiting for him to go into submissive mode, and back away. But he doesn't. I stop. Our faces are inches apart, and I'm surprised that we're staring straight ahead into each other's eyes. Normally, I'd be looking down on his head. Okay, so the kid's taller than he looks. No big deal. But what's with this fearless attitude? He's a wimpy coward, and he knows it. He must be trying to put on a show for me, trying to prove something. But I know him. I know how to bring him crashing down. And I will.  
  
Ryou's POV  
  
His eyes narrowed, as they examined me. Staring at my eyes, then slowly moving down, raking over my body. His lip curls, and he reaches out, undoing the buttons on the jacket of my blue school uniform. He rips the jacket from my body, and begins to circle me, like a vulture, inspecting me from every angle.  
  
That's it Bakura.. You're the King. You keep thinking that. Well, you're about to be overthrown. Enjoy your last minutes of dominance over me. That weakened dam that is my self control is a bout to break. And then, you'll meet my flood head on. And you'll be swept away. He comes back in front of me, and looks surprised, and confused. I can understand why. I can't help it any more. My lips have curled in mocking smirk. My hair is messy from my final testing. As I narrow my eyes at him, his widens. We seem to have switched bodies for a few moments, he looks like me, I look like him. But then, he returns to himself, and raises his hand.  
  
"Wipe that smirk off you face!"  
  
Bakura's POV  
  
I slap him. Normally, with the force I put into it, he would have fallen to the floor, held his cheek, and started crying. But he didn't move. His head whipped to the side, as he moved with my strike, lessening the force of impact. Then, slowly, he turns, and looks at me, as cool as possible. What the hell is going on?  
  
"Enough, Bakura." He said, in a cold tone. I blinked, surprised. I slapped him again, this time harder. But I got the same reaction, moving with the hit, then turning to face me again. "It's over. you can't hurt me anymore." That did it. the little bitch didn't know what he was saying.  
  
"Watch your mouth hikari." I spat.  
  
"You watch it!" He snapped. And then, so did I. I pulled my fist back, and hurled it forwards, straight at his nose.  
  
Ryou's POV  
  
the hit came, and I simply stepped to the side. He stumbled with the uncontrolled force of the punch. He blinked, then stared at me, eyes wide. His expression was priceless. I smirked again.  
  
"Care to try again?" I asked. He scowled, and threw another punch, which I easily dodged. "Is that all you've got, oh high and mighty spirit of the Ring?" I sneered at him. He went ballistic. His fists flew, but I dodged and blocked every one, just letting him work out some frustration. It ended up with both of his fists out, and my hands up, our wrists in contact, his on the outside. We stared at each other, him panting, and shocked, me, smirking, and trying not to laugh.  
  
"My turn." I whispered. His eyes widened, and my hands shot out, grabbing the sides of his head. I brought it down, and jerked my knee up. There was a sickening wet crunching noise as I slammed his nose into my knee. He fell back on his ass, at sat there, holding his nose, that was gushing blood. I smirked.  
  
"It's over, Bakura. Give up. You're no match for me." He paused, then looked up at me. Fire in his eyes. I knew that look too well. Suddenly, I felt afraid.  
  
Bakura's POV  
  
This is not happening. This is not happening. This is not happening. This is not happening. There is no way that my hikari blocked million punches, then broke my nose. No way. I tap into the Ring to heal my injury, and stand to face him.  
  
"I accept you challenge." I growl, and smirk when I se that flicker of fear I know so well. But to my astonishment, it's gone, as fast as it had come. He held up his fists, and moved one foot back. His back leg was straight, his front leg bent. He was supporting his weight on the balls of his feet, mostly on the front leg. The stance of an experienced fighter. It was flawless. What the hell was going on?  
  
Ryou's POV  
  
"Then come on." I said, coolly. "Let's dance." He looked so confused, that I had to laugh, deep in my throat. He heard it, and it infuriated him that his "weakling hikari" had just broken his nose, and was now laughing at him. He stood, growling, and took a fighting stance similar to mine. He attacked. I stepped back, and blocked his punch coming around with a roundhouse kick. He absorbed it with his side, and I caught a fist in the jaw. He stepped back, satisfied, thinking that I would go down. How wrong could he be.  
  
Bakura's POV  
  
Hah. That takes care of that. the weakling could never stand up to that punch. He's fin-ouch! Okay, maybe not.  
  
What the hell is going on here?! Ryou Bakura, my hikari, my weak, pitiful, sniveling, spineless hikari, is actually fighting me, and holding his own! How could this happen?! It's like he's a whole different person! I have to know.  
  
"What the hell is going on with you, Ryou?!?" I gasp, stumbling back, holding my jaw. "What the hell happened?!" Ryou glared at me.  
  
"I've been waiting for this a long time, Bakura. All these years. All these years of taking your beatings, controlling myself, not allowing myself to reveal this too soon."  
  
"What are you talking about?!?" Yeah, I was confused.  
  
"I've been training for years." He snarled, completely unlike my timid light.  
  
"Training?" I echoed.  
  
"Ever since I got the Ring. And now, I make my move. Even a pawn can put a King in check, Bakura. And you never were very good at chess." He smirked again. I was officially sick of that look on his face. His attitude needed an adjustment.  
  
"Yeah, well, this isn't a game anymore, Ryou." I said.  
  
Ryou's POV  
  
He kicked off his shoes, and pulled off his shirt, flexing his arms and popping his back. I shrugged, and kicked off my shoes as well. My school uniform probably wasn't the best thing to fight in, so I pulled it off, and wandered to the laundry room in my boxers. I picked up a pair of sweatpants, and a black T-shirt, and put them on. I snatched up a rubber band from the counter, and pulled my hair back at the base of my neck. Then, I returned to the living room, where Bakura was stretching, looking very excited. I didn't need to stretch, I was still loose from my testing, but he had probably been lounging all day.  
  
"Are you ready, hikari?" He sneered, finally. I took up a fighting stance again.  
  
"Ready and waiting." He attacked.  
  
Normal POV  
  
"Are you sure, Jounochi?" Yugi asked, as they ran down the street.  
  
"Hai. Ryou thinks he can take him, and maybe he can, but I'd feel better if we were near, just in case."  
  
"You shouldn't have let Ryou attempt this at all, Jounochi!" Yami snarled, under his breath.  
  
"Bakura could kill him!" Honda gasped.  
  
"Save your breath and keep running!" Kaiba snapped. They got to Ryou's house and ran up to the door, listening. There was a lot of commotion, and it sounded bad. The front door shuddered with a loud thud, and they heard Ryou yelp. Yami Yugi grasped the doorknob, and pulled. He let out a scream, and ducked, as Ryou flew over his head, foot out, as if trying to kick Yami in the head, only he was aiming high. A ducking Bakura revealed his original target. Ryou hit the ground, and rolled, immediately standing, and facing Bakura, as he charged out the door, ignoring Ryou's confused friends. The two fought back and forth, Ryou backing away down the front side walk.  
  
The neighbors started coming out, to see what the commotion was.  
  
"Uhhh.. Which one's Ryou?" Honda asked, weakly.  
  
"Uh, the one with the shirt.." Yami mumbled, not quite believing hat he was seeing, when Ryou open palmed Bakura in the chin, snapping his head back. Bakura stumbled back, and Ryou backed off as well. The two simply stared at each other, waiting for the other to make the next move. Bakura smirked, and grunted.  
  
"All right." He growled. "I underestimated you. Time to take it up a notch."  
  
"Bring it on." Ryou snarled. "I've barely broken a sweat." Bakura attacked, and the fight became more intense.  
  
"It looks like an episode of Dragon Ball Z!" Yugi squeaked, his eyes bugging out of his head.  
  
"Uh, Jounochi, are you sure that that's Ryou and Bakura and Bakura hasn't split off into two beings?" Honda asked.  
  
"I'm sure. Ryou's been taking Karate for ten years. He got his second degree black belt today. He decided that it was time he paid Bakura back for ten years of pain. And judging by all the blood on Bakura, he's doing pretty well." Bakura at that moment, slammed his fist into Ryou's jaw. The boy stumbled back, and fell. Bakura approached him, to finish him off, but Ryou braced his hands by his head, and kicked his legs up. His body followed, and he landed in a crouching stance. Bakura blinked, surprised.  
  
"No way!" Yugi gasped. Ryou leapt up in the air, at Bakura. He slammed one leg into Bakura's chest, pushing him back, and the other leg into the back of Bakura's knees, sweeping his legs out from under him. Bakura yelped as his back slammed into the sidewalk. Ryou landed on his side, but was over Bakura in a moment, his knee on Bakura's chest, his hand around his throat, and his other hand fisted by his own head, ready to hit Bakura.  
  
"Do you give up?" Ryou snarled. Yami, Yugi, Kaiba, Honda, and Jounochi simply stood, eyes bugging out, mouths hanging open.  
  
"Iie." Bakura snapped. "Never!" Ryou's eyes narrowed, and his fist darted forwards. Bakura twisted his head, and Ryou cried out as his fist slammed into the pavement. Bakura flipped Ryou off of, him, and two rolled away from each other. Ryou grit his teeth, and inspected his bloody knuckles.  
  
"Ryou! Are you all right?!" Yami called.  
  
"Hai! Just stay back! I want to finish this on my own!" Ryou called. Yami blinked, then sighed, and nodded, backing away.  
  
"Yami?!" Yugi gasped.  
  
"This is Ryou's fight, Yugi. Let him finish it." Bakura glanced at Yami, then looked back at Ryou. He raised his hand, and beckoned Ryou to attack. Ryou faced him, and did so. Bakura ducked his punch, and landed one of his own in Ryou's ribs. Ryou Brought his fist down on Bakura's shoulder. Bakura stood up quickly, the top of his head colliding with with Ryou's chin, snapping his head back. When he did, Ryou lashed out with his foot, catching Bakura in the stomach. Both stumbled back, only to dart forwards again.  
  
For nearly half an hour, they fought down the street, getting three blocks away from their home, until, finally, it ended. Ryou and Bakura, both exhausted, tried to throw one finally hit. Their fists passed each other, and slammed into the other's face at the same time.  
  
"Now, I know I saw that on Dragon Ball Z the other day." Yugi mumbled. Both fell back, and collapsed, side by side, and didn't move.  
  
"Did they knock each other out?" Honda gasped. Slowly, they approached the fallen fighters, covered in blood and sweat. Their chests heaved as their breathes came in labored gasps. They stared down at them, both with their eyes closed. Slowly, Ryou opened his eyes, and tiredly turned his head, to look at Bakura.  
  
"I don't' wanna get up." He panted. "Do you?" Bakura opened his eyes, and stared at Ryou, no expression on his face. He sighed, and looked up at the sky.  
  
"Nope." He said, ignoring the crowd gathering around them.  
  
"Ouch." Ryou mumbled.  
  
"Yup." Bakura said. Ryou looked at Bakura again, and held out his hand.  
  
"Truce?" He asked, tiredly. Bakura smiled, weakly, and looked at Ryou. He clasped Ryou's hand.  
  
"Truce." He said, and they both closed their eyes smiling, holding hands. After a moment, Ryou opened his eyes again, looking at his friends, who were looking astonished.  
  
"Yami?"  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"Can you carry us home? I don't think either of us can get up." Bakura chuckled, and let go of Ryou's hand to scratch his nose.  
  
"Uh, sure." Yami mumbled. He knelt, and scooped Ryou up into his arms. Then looked at Bakura, who was relaxing, on the ground, looking very content. Jounochi grumbled something, and cautiously picked up Bakura, ready drop him and run, and a moment's notice. They carried to two back to their house, and put them in the living room, Ryou on the sofa, Bakura in the recliner. After a few minutes, Bakura opened his eyes, and looked at Ryou.  
  
"How long have you been keeping this from me?" He asked. Ryou looked at his yami.  
  
"Since Day One." He said, smiling. Bakura blinked.  
  
"You're joking."  
  
"Iie."  
  
"Have you really?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle.." Bakura mused, much to the amusement of all those present.  
  
"Surprised?" Ryou asked.  
  
"Hell yeah." Bakura said. "I guess this really changes things, huh?"  
  
"Yup. Can't beat me up anymore." Ryou grumbled, and Bakura snickered.  
  
"If you could do that, why didn't you stop me before?"  
  
".. Because."  
  
"Because why?"  
  
"I wanted to wait for the right time. I wanted to give you a shock you'd never forget."  
  
"Huh. It worked." Bakura grunted.  
  
"Guess I'm not the weak one anymore huh?"  
  
"No, I guess not. I suppose I'll have to pick on Yugi, now."  
  
"You most certainly will not!!!" Yami shouted, and Bakura laughed.  
  
"So, now what?" Ryou asked.  
  
"Now you can help me collect the Millennium Items." Bakura said.  
  
"How about not." Ryou drawled, sitting up. "I need a shower." He grumbled, and went upstairs. Bakura watched him go.  
  
"Did you know he was planning this, Pharaoh?" He asked. Yami shook his head. "Hmph."  
  
"How the mighty hath fallen." Yami said, and Bakura rolled his eyes.  
  
"Urusai." He growled.  
  
"You won't hurt him anymore, will you." Yami said. Bakura smiled, and shook his head.  
  
"Iie. I'm proud of him, Pharaoh. I'm proud of him."  
  
~END~  
  
**************** Another one shot fic. I wondered what it would be like, if you turned the tables on Bakura. I really like how it turned out. Please R&R!!! 


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